


Don't Worry, Be Happy, Mon!

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, First Time, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-27
Updated: 2006-03-27
Packaged: 2019-02-02 18:39:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12732072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: After the team's trip to hell to rescue Jacob, General Hammond decided they all needed a vacation. So SG-1 and Dr. Fraiser are sent on a paid vacation to an island resort off of Jamaica.





	Don't Worry, Be Happy, Mon!

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

The Air Force transport was landing, and Colonel Jack O'Neill started putting his Gameboy back into his backpack. As he bent down to stuff it back under the seat in front of him, his recently healed thigh muscle cramped, really bad!

"Shit! Ow!"

Daniel, who was sitting next to him, said, "Jack! What's wrong?"

"Leg cramp! Shit! OW!"

"Janet?"

"We're landing, Daniel, I can't get up yet. Massage his leg, that should help ease the cramp."

Daniel hesitated only a second, then reached over and pushed Jack's hands away from the leg. "Let me do it, Jack. I'm at a better angle."

/Fuck, not only a cramp, but Daniel rubbing my leg. Fucking embarrassing!/

Long fingers started rubbing, the strength in them showing as they dug deep into Jack's strong thigh muscle.

"I can feel the spasm. Try to relax, Jack." 

/RELAX? Your hand is two inches from my dick, and the damned thing seems to like it there just fine! How the hell can I relax? I have a dick that's sexually confused and has decided it likes my best friend touching me!/

"Just do it, Daniel." Jack sounded grumpy even to himself.

Daniel felt the muscle spasm again under his fingers, and he reached deeply into the errant flesh, soothing and forcing it to behave.

"I think the muscle is settling down, Janet." Daniel glanced up at Jack's face, which was close to his own. "Does that feel good?"

/It sure does, Danny, since the Little Colonel is sticking his ugly head up here. Thank God my slacks are loose and I dressed to the left today!/

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, guy."

/Yeah, remember that, O'Neill, GUY, as in six feet tall, muscles, testosterone, and an outie instead of an innie. Guy. Damn, I *really* need to get laid, if I'm getting turned on just by Daniel putting his hands near my crotch./

Daniel nodded, sitting back up in his seat.

"Uh, Daniel?"

"Yes Jack?"

"You can take your hand back any time, ya know."

"Oh, sorry." He pulled it back like he'd been burnt or something. 

"I just didn't want the others to wonder, ya know?"

"No, that wouldn't be smart at all, everyone wondering why I have my hand on your leg."

The plane landed, and they all scrambled around to get their stuff and to get off.

* * *

A rather scruffy Customs representative inspected their luggage briefly and looked at their passports. Finally satisfied, he waved them on and out into the waiting area of the small airport.

A native islander, his hair in dreadlocks and his clothes a riot of bright colors that hurt the eye, waved at them, jumping up and down in his zeal for them to notice him.

"Who do you think he his?" Daniel asked Jack.

"I was told we'd be met by a guide. Maybe that's him."

They all followed Jack over to the enthusiastic man.

"Hey, Mon, you Colonel O'Neill?"

"I'm O'Neill." 

"Cool! I'm Bacicha, 'n I'm your guide for your trip to Candala. Call me Baccie." Bacicha looked up and up at Teal'c suddenly. "Hey, bro, you one biiiiigggg brother, ya know dat?"

Teal'c, in a Chicago Cubs baseball hat, looked down his nose at the smaller man. "I have no family here, and have no brothers."

"Oh, yeah? I go get the jeep now."

Sam smiled. "It's an expression, Teal'c. He's referring to you having dark skin like his."

"What does the color of my skin have to do with anything?"

Jack answered the Jaffa's question. "It doesn't. But, uh, here distinctions like that are common."

Baccie drove up just then in a really battered Jeep Cherokee.

"Sheesh, that thing looks older than you, Daniel."

Blue eyes narrowed at O'Neill. "More gratuitous jokes in reference to my age, Jack? How kind of you. It must be hard being the oldest and crochiest one of us all the time."

Teal'c cleared his throat ominously.

An apologetic glance at Teal'c, then, "The oldest one of us Tau'ri, that is. Sorry Teal'c."

"Indeed."

Baccie jumped out of the Jeep and bopped over to them, taking Janet's bags to put in the back storage area. He grinned at Teal'c, moving up close and into the Jaffa's face.

"Say, my large brother, ya want to ride wi' me in front, and we can nosh some?"

The small islander seemed totally oblivious of the intense glare Teal'c shot at him.

"Um, why don't I sit in front with you, um, Baccie, and you can tell me about the history of your island?" Daniel pushed between the two men.

/Good save, Danny, keeping the guide from becoming Teal'c meat./

Fortunately for everyone, Baccie was cheerfully clueless how close to destruction he'd come. The former First Prime definitely was not comfortable with the informality and casual disrespect of the islander.

Daniel and Baccie's happy chatter rang through the car. Jack tuned them out and looked at the scenery, which was breathtaking. There was only one main road on the island, which they were now traveling. The water near the beaches was a warm turquoise color, and he couldn't wait to go swimming, and later, fishing maybe. Carter, with her usual efficiency, had checked the pollution levels of the water, and found them okay.

"Look, Sam, those people are wind surfing!" Janet pointed, and all of them looked in that direction.

People wearing colorful chute harnesses were water skiing behind powerful boats, Their wind surfer chutes caught the breeze and bodies raised above the water, sailing along behind the boats.

"Hey, I gotta try that!" Sam said excitedly. "Baccie, can we rent motorcycles somewhere on the island? I'd love to motor around the place."

"Of course we have motorcycles here to rent, Mistress! You ladies will just love riding behind dese han'som gents to take in our beautiful island."

Teal'c and Jack shared a glance. Oh-oh, trouble...

Sam laughed, in too good a mood to let the minor sexism disturb it. "Actually, I'll be riding one myself. Colonel, do you ride?"

"I haven't ridden a bike since before I was married, but I think I could handle one. T, how about you? Would you like to try?"

"It cannot be that difficult, O'Neill. I will try."

"Well, I for one will either ride behind one of you, or forego the pleasure altogether. I've seen too much damage those things cause. You just better make sure you all wear helmets." Janet drawled.

"I second that." Daniel said from the front. "If I tried to drive one of those, I'd kill myself in no time."

"You can ride behind me, Daniel, I'll make sure you don't fall off."

/Shit, where did that come from? God, Danny holding on to me, his crotch to my ass, NO Little Colonel! Not now! Bad boy. What the hell is happening to me? I've never had these type of thoughts about Daniel before./

"That's nice of you, Jack."

"Baccie, is there places around here where we can go to party, that sort of thing? /And where I can get laid, pronto./

"Of course, mon, on this island there's a party happening any hour of any day. Lot's of places to go swing, with hot ladies and gents just for the picking! Here we are, home sweet home."

The place that had been booked for them was a large old house. It was painted with bright colors, and it stood on a hill overlooking a private beach.

"Hey, Jan, our own beach!"

Janet smiled wickedly, elbowing Sam. "That means we can go skinny- dipping! Woo hoo!"

Sam blushing was the only answer to the irrepressible physician's comment.

The image of Daniel, diving bare-assed into the warm water in front of Jack, resulted in the Colonel squirming in his seat. His heterosexuality made a last ditch effort as he said with a leer at Janet, "Just let us know when yer going to do it, Doc."

Janet laughed, blushing. "I'll be sure to post a memo, Jack."

There were three bedrooms on the top floor, with the other living areas all located on the first floor.

The kitchen was huge, with fairly modern appliances. A quick look in the fridge showed Jack that they had a full larder, with lots of beer and wine as he'd ordered. Cool. 

"Anyone want a beer?"

"Is there wine in there?"

"Sure, Danny, wouldn't leave you without your wine."

"I'll have some wine, but not until I've gone for a swim."

"I'll take one, Sir."

"Carter, we're off duty. It's Jack." He grumped as he handed her a Bud.

"Right, S... uh, Jack." 

Her discomfort was so obvious he finally grumbled, "Fer crying out loud, call me whatever you want, then!"

The search of the upstairs showed that there weren't enough rooms for each of them to have privacy.

"Well, Danny, I guess you and me will take this one." 'This one' was a calm-looking room painted light blue with dark blue trim. Three large windows faced the sea on the two outside walls. 

Sam, looking into the room next to Jack's, said, "Jan, you and I can take this one. It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, just look at that view!"

"Then I shall take this smaller room. It provides me with sufficient space to perform my kel'no'reem."

* * *

Jack stood at the window, inhaling the ocean breeze, feeling a ton of tension start easing from his shoulders. He and his team had needed this vacation, *bad*.

Daniel moved up behind Jack, standing close enough so that the Colonel could feel his friend's breath on his neck and the heat of his body on his own.

"Jack, what are we going to do about the bed, meaning singular, here."

He turned to look at his friend, at the same time trying to put some space between them for his own peace of mind. Yet he didn't want to be too obvious about it, or hurt Danny's feelings, so he didn't move much. At least that is what he told himself.

"We've slept closer on missions. We're big boys, Daniel. I'm sure it won't be a problem." Jack found himself caught up in his archeologist's blue eyes, which could put the view out the window to shame, really. Finally wrenching his eyes away, he added, "Come on, Spacemonkey, let's go for a swim!"

"Um, okay, that sounds good."

Did Daniel's voice actually hold disappointment? Why? Jack wondered about it for a bit, then took off to change into his suit and grab the sunscreen and a beach towel he'd brought with him. That ocean was beckoning him like a siren.

* * *

Jack saw their guide lolling in the shade of the back porch, almost sleeping in the warmth. 

"Hey, Baccie, anything we gotta worry about that might be in the water? Come on down with us and go for a swim, tell us all the places we should see."

"Sure, Mon, happy to do it. Ya have to watch out for sharks, though they don't usually hang around real close to shore that often. Sting rays show up now and then, but just be careful where you put your feet, you should be okay. Oh, there's submerged caves all over the island that can trap and drown you if you get caught in them during high tide. I'll show you dem on the map, okay?"

"Great. Thanks."

Right then Daniel, wearing only his swimming trunks and a towel draped over one broad shoulder, came out the door, Janet and Sam in bathing suits behind him. Teal'c was in the rear, wearing snug trunks and a black body shirt that would hide Junior's pouch from Baccie's curious eyes.

"Woooooieeeee! You all look really nice. You'll be a hit on my island, that's for sure, once word gets around."

"Daniel, Baccie says there might be sharks out there. That means you need to run away from it, not try to make friends with it." Jack teased.

The archeologist batted his eyes at his friend. "Oh, but Jack, I managed to tame a rabid scientist-hating Air Force Colonel, I would think a shark would be easy pickings after that."

O'Neill bared his teeth at Daniel, but his brown eyes twinkled in amusement. "Tamed, huh, Danny boy? We'll see about that. Hey, everyone, last one in is a rotten egg!"

With that, Jack threw down the towel and sunscreen and ran into the balmy water.

Janet shook her head, watching the Colonel frolic. "I believe that a ten year old exists in that forty-some year old body sometimes, I swear."

Daniel watched Jack fondly, following the others as they made their slightly more dignified way into the water. "Yes Janet, but he's our ten year old, which is why we put up with it."

* * *

After a lot of playing in the surf, Jack finally got out and spread out his towel next to an already prone Daniel. Lying down on the towel with his face resting on his folded arms, he sighed. "This is great."

Daniel's grunt was the only reply he got.

"Jack, Daniel, make sure you put sunscreen on everywhere." Janet was putting it on Sam's back as she said this. "I don't want to have to treat you for sunburn."

"Alright, alright, mother Janet." O'Neill started slathering the oily cream on his body carelessly. /Damned stuff sticks to my fur!/

"Um, Jack, you're supposed to spread it in, not coat yourself with a half-inch layer like you're a ham ready for basting."

With a glare at Daniel, Jack tried to rub the now sandy mess in, making it worse. He reached his hand over his shoulder to try to put some on his back, not very successfully.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Jack, let me do that!" Daniel snapped, finally getting tired of the Colonel's antics. He snatched the sunscreen away from the other man's greasy fingers and squeezed some out and started rubbing it into Jack's muscular back.

Baccie, who was lying in the sun near Sam and Janet, watched the two men with amusement. "Are dose two a couple?"

Sam blinked, looking where the guide was staring. "The Colonel and Daniel? No, Baccie. In the US military, that type of relationship is frowned on. They're just friends."

Janet grinned at the two of them. "Baccie's got something there. They do act like an old married couple, don't they?"

"I guess." Sam was uncomfortable with this conversation, so she changed the subject. "When can we go get the bikes, Baccie, and where should we go?"

Their guide happily went on for a while on that subject, getting him off the Colonel and Daniel.

Daniel finished Jack's back, and said to him, "Can you put it on my back, Jack? I burn pretty badly there."

"S...sure, Danny." Jack put some sunscreen on his hand, then turned to start rubbing it into the younger man's back. The feel of Daniel's smooth muscles under his callused hands sent a warmth trailing downwards in his body.

"You've really bulked up lately."

"Bulked up?"

"Yeah, like in lots more muscles."

"Well, Teal'c's been taking me through weight training." 

Jack just kept rubbing Daniel, his trail finally taking him down to the small of the archeologist's back, where he lingered a bit. By the time he was finished, Jack's hands were shaking for some reason, and the Little Colonel was making a sizable tent in his trunks. Thank goodness Daniel's body was between him and the others, so they wouldn't notice. 

"There ya go, all covered."

By the time Daniel could turn and smile his thanks, O'Neill had flopped on his belly to hide his body's response to touching the younger man.

/Shit, almost caught me there! What in the hell is happening to me?.../

On and on did Jack's thoughts go around the answer to his question. Admit it to himself that he was attracted to and cared for his buddy? No way. Denial O'Neill, all the way.

* * *

Later, after a nice shower, some sandwiches, and a little beer and wine, the entire group was ready to move out to one of the supposedly never-ending parties. But not before they all did a little primping and putting on of mating plumage.

"Daniel, do ya think I look okay? Not too military?"

Daniel was in jeans with no shirt on yet, and he held up two shirts, trying to decide which to wear. He looked up at Jack, got a gander of Colonel O'Neill in full hunting mode, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. Surprise and something else apparently, judging from the enlarging of the pupils in those blue eyes of his.

"Say something, Danny! For crying out loud, here, do I look like someone you'd let pick you up? Talk to me."

Jack wore baggy khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt with brown and orange flowers all over it. The shirt was unbuttoned until the third button, and a good portion of Jack's grizzled chest hair peeked out of the opening, along with his dog tags. The colors of the shirt made the older man's hair glow almost silver and his brown eyes stand out like chocolate velvet.

"Um, I'd let you pick me up anytime, looking like that, Jack. And I don't usually do casual, either. You look great." He held up his two shirts. "Which one do you think I should wear?"

The shirt in Daniel's right hand was a light chambray material colored in blue and red checks. The other one he held was a green polo shirt.

O'Neill came closer, looked at both shirts critically, then shook his head. "Neither of them. Jeez, kid, we gotta take you shopping for some new clothes one of these days. Here, I got a good one for you. Hold on to that thought."

Jack rooted in his suitcase until he pulled out another Hawaiian- styled shirt. This one had turquoise flamingos standing on yellow beaches near teal green waters.

"Um, I don't think so." Daniel's look of distaste was hilarious, and Jack almost laughed as his friend tried to be nice. "It's a little loud for me."

"Yeah, Danny, you'll look great in it. The blue will show off your eyes! Come on..." Brown puppy-dog eyes wheedled the archeologist, which of course made Daniel cave completely. Half-bemused, he let Jack put him into the shirt, only starting to protest when the older man left all but the last two buttons open.

"Jaaacccckkkk! Now all I need is a cigarette, a gold chain and some gold rings, and I'll look like a lounge lizard!" The younger man pushed away Jack's helpful hands and started buttoning up, finally ending up with the shirt closed to the neck.

O'Neill sighed. /Lounge Lizard? God, you looked good enough to eat, you clueless idiot! I'll have to beat 'em off by the droves. Maybe I should bring my gun. Naaaah, probably not, or I might have to use it if someone gives Danny trouble./

"Danny, we need another opinion, here. I see you aren't gonna believe me that you should leave it undone."

He stuck his head out the bedroom door and bellowed, "Carter, Doc, T, get in here and tell Daniel to unbutton his shirt!"

"Jack, please! How embarrassing..."

The other three couldn't resist that odd request. Teal'c, dressed in a tight red tee shirt and black jeans, walked in, his hands behind his back. Janet and Sam followed, wearing their robes. They obviously weren't ready to let anyone see their outfits.

"Daniel thinks he looks better with this shirt buttoned. What d'ya all think?"

Even though the shirt was loud, the colors did make Daniel's eyes stand out. He looked tanned and healthy, gorgeous, and completely clueless about it. Typical Daniel, really.

"Okay, now I'll unbutton it." Jack reached out to unbutton the shirt. 

Daniel said quietly through his bright red face, "I'll do it, Jack." He fumbled and unbuttoned the four buttons. Finally he peeked up shyly at his friends.

"Wooofff! Unbuttoned, honey, definitely unbuttoned." Janet whistled and fanned herself. "Is it hot in here?"

"You look really nice with the shirt open, Daniel. Of course..." A hit in the elbow by Janet shut Sam's mouth on whatever she was going to say.

Teal'c looked over his young friend gravely. Finally he said in his gravelly voice, "I believe that 'woof' is an appropriate word, DanielJackson. Keep the shirt unbuttoned. It does not do your physique justice closed."

Now Daniel was crimson. "Um, okay. Thanks."

Janet was checking Jack out, who hadn't taken his eyes off of Daniel. "Jack, I'd say the same thing about you, except for the dog tags. You gonna keep those on?"

"I think they look sexy on him, and bring attention to his, um, ..."

Janet glanced at Daniel and decided to help him out. "His knock-dead sexy tuft of manly salt-and-pepper chest hair?"

"Aw, fer crying out loud! Yer embarrassing me here, Fraiser!"

Daniel grinned. "Paybacks are hell. Keep the dog tags on, Jack, and I'll keep the shirt unbuttoned, okay?"

"Okay."

"We gotta finish dressing, now that all the important decisions are made." 

The two women disappeared back into their bedrooms while the three men went downstairs for a beer, some wine, and a ginger ale.

* * *

The men just stared when the two women made their entrance. Janet was wearing a dark green sheath dress that brought out her tanned skin and red hair. Sam wore a black sheath that showed off the Major's long legs.

"That does it. I'm going back for my gun. I thought about bringing it along when I saw Daniel, but the way you two look, I'm definitely gonna need it."

Daniel turned to his friend in shock. "You were? Why?"

"Don't you like the way we look, Daniel?" Janet called to get the archeologist's attention.

He licked his lips and four sets of eyes watched the pointed tongue in fascination. "I think you two look really marvelous. Jack, maybe you should bring your gun."

"You will not need a weapon, O'Neill, I will protect the two ladies and Daniel from unsuitable attentions."

"Hey, don't I need protection too?" Jack whined, hating to be left out.

Daniel came up to his CO, close enough for Jack to smell the wine on Daniel's breath. He said quietly in a soft voice, "I'll protect you, Jack, don't be afraid."

They all burst out laughing at Jack's stupefied expression. Even Teal'c curled his lips up. This party was going to be fun!

* * *

When they got to the big warehouse where the party was in full swing, Jack noticed that Daniel looked nervous. He pulled his friend back and said quietly, "Hey, everything okay?"

"I'm not my best at parties like this."

"Stick with me, kid, and you'll be okay."

"I thought you came here to get laid, Jack. I can't exactly stick with you during that."

He didn't wonder how Daniel had ascertained his plans. They were always that way with each other. "Well, I'll just make sure she's got a friend, how's that?"

"I don't do casual, Jack, and I don't need your help finding one night stands. Thanks anyway." After that snarky reply, Daniel turned and followed his friends into the crowded house. Reggae music blared from the bowels of the place, the beat thick as the soldier followed him inside.

A beautiful island girl scoped Daniel out almost instantly, went over, and grabbed his hand to lead him out onto the dance floor. Jack watched as Daniel shuffled around, embarrassed, until he seemed to get the beat. Then the anthropologist in Daniel came out, and he started swiveling his arms and hips to the music.

/Ye gods, I shouldda brought my gun. Shit can he move!/ Fascinated with Daniel's weaving backside, Jack barely stirred until Sam moved up to him and handed him a beer. He took it automatically, drank down several swallows, returning to watch Daniel.

"He's good, isn't he?"

"Too good. I shouldda brought my gun."

"He's fine, Colonel. Let him have fun. He needs it more than the rest of us combined."

Right then a handsome and tanned man asked Sam to dance. She handed Jack her beer and followed him out onto the dance floor. Janet and Teal'c had already started up, and the Jaffa seemed to be getting into the wild moves big time.

O'Neill decided to move over to the bar and get a second beer. He wasn't really the dancing type, anyway.

Minutes after the Colonel plopped himself on a bar stool, a pretty blonde came up to him.

"Hi there. You alone at this party?"

He checked her out. She wore a tight halter and short-shorts, advertising an impressive set of wares. Green eyes under a mop of tawny blond hair looked Jack over, obviously liking what she saw. She looked about thirty, maybe younger.

"No, I'm with my friends, but I'm not much of a dancer. You?"

"Me too. My friends and I are here for vacation, just slumming."

He noticed her empty drink glass. "Want another of those?"

"Sure! This is Kalua and cream."

Jack ordered another beer and a drink for her. Once they had them, she took a deep swallow then looked at his chest. A long painted fingernail reached out and touched his dog tags. 

"Military?"

"Air Force. We're on leave."

"Well, what's your name, Air Force? I'm Sandy."

"Jack. Nice to meet you, Sandy." They shook hands.

"How about you and I take a walk on the beach, Air Force Jack, where we can hear ourselves talk?"

"Sure, but I'd better let one of my friends know, or they'll worry."

"Great. I'll wait for you here and finish this."

Jack went looking, finally finding Daniel dancing with a different person, this time a good-looking man.

/Daniel dancing with a man? What?/ He came up to his friend, putting his hand on his shoulder to catch his attention. "Hey Daniel."

"Jack, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm going for a walk on the beach, okay?"

"Who's your lovely friend, Daniel?" The guy who'd been dancing with Daniel leaned over the archeologist's shoulders in what Jack thought was a totally inappropriate way. "Have you been holding out on us about a partner?"

"Sorley, this is Jack. Jack, Sorley."

"Hello, Jack, you adorable thing. I just love the silver hair."

After giving the obviously gay man a good glare, Jack said, "Daniel, can I talk to you for a sec?" He pulled Daniel away from Sorley before the younger man could even agree.

"You okay, Danny? Is that guy bugging you?"

"Sorley? No, he's just the touchy type, that's all. His life partner is around here somewhere."

"Surprised you would let a guy like that hang around you."

"A guy like what, Jack?" Daniel's eyes had narrowed in irritation.

"You know, um, gay."

"He's not molesting me, Jack, and he seems like a nice guy. He's better than the three women who practically had their hands on my ass and down my pants since I got here!"

"THREE! Holy shit, Daniel, you dog. Why didn't you stick with one of them?"

"I already told you, Jack, I don't do casual. I'm here to have fun, not to fuck someone, like you! Sorley's an anthropologist from University of California, Berkely. He's interesting to talk to and fun to dance with."

"How do you know that's what I'm here for?"

"Oh, just from a few small indicators, like your tongue hanging out leering at all the T and A around here. Subtle stuff like that."

Daniel really sounded annoyed, now. Jack protested. "Well, at least I'm trying!"

"Yes, you certainly are. Have fun on your walk, Jack." His infuriating archeologist turned his ass on Jack and went back to a waiting Sorley. Jack glared at Daniel's dance partner, then turned back to find Sandy.

The woman was finishing up another drink, and when they left the hot house, she was walking a little unsteadily. She fell against him, and he caught her arm. "Whoa, careful there."

She giggled. "Sorry. Alcohol combined with these high-heeled sandals are deadly."

"You've had a lot to drink, Sandy."

"Not enough to make me not want this."

The woman swung him around and pulled Jack to her, kissing him on the lips. She tasted like Kalua and lipstick.

"God you're hot, Jack." He allowed her to kiss him again, but when her tiny hands started trying to unbuckle his belt, he took hold of them. He noticed that the Little Colonel was dead in the water, there. This chick didn't do anything for him, obviously.

"Hey, going a little fast there, Sandy. Why don't we walk by the water a little ways, see if you can clear your head."

"Don't want to walk, Jack. Wanna fuck." The hands went for the belt again. 

Jack was getting seriously annoyed here. This woman was way too drunk to have sex with, she could hardly stand up on her own two feet. And he wasn't into sand getting into sensitive areas of his body. He had thought that if he liked her, they could go to her place later. No way now, the way she was pawing him!

"No, I don't think so. I'm going back to the party. Why don't you just walk it off by yourself, Sandy?"

"You're leaving me? You son of a bitch!"

"Yep, that's what they tell me."

Once he re-entered the smoky darkness, Jack headed over to where Daniel last was. He came upon his archeologist, who was being shouted at by a really large, really angry guy.

"What do you think you're doing, putting your hands on my lover, you four-eyed asshole?"

"Daniel, what's going on here?" Jack asked in his lowest, most dangerous voice.

"Jack. This man is Sorley's partner, and he mistakenly thinks I was trying to seduce Sorley."

Jack moved between the two men instinctively. "Daniel was dancing with your partner, not fucking him, bozo. So back off of him while you can still walk."

"So the wimp has a really baaaad boyfriend, does he? From those tags, I would guess even military." The man taunted. "I'll tell him exactly what I please, soldier boy."

"That's airman to you. Come on, Danny." Jack took hold of Daniel's arm and started turning away. But he was ready when the big lummox went after him from behind. The guy grabbed Jack's shoulder, Jack grabbed his hand, twisted roughly, and reversed their positions, holding the lummox' wrist in such a way that he screamed.

"Daniel, don't let him hurt Lenny, please? He didn't mean anything. He just gets jealous when he's drunk. He didn't mean to go after your boyfriend."

"Jack, let him go."

Brown eyes were caught and held by blue ones after Daniel voiced his gentle command. Finally Jack dropped the now much more sober Lenny. "Get out of here, and consider yourself lucky that Daniel's a good person. Because I'm not." He growled.

The two men hastily beat a retreat, and Daniel took hold of the post adrenaline-high Colonel's arm.

"Come on, let's go for a walk and let you cool off."

Out in the cool wind, Jack's heart calmed down and the tension started leaving his shoulders.

"Thanks for heading that off, Jack. I appreciate it. Lenny was pretty drunk, and I didn't want to fight him, for Sorley's sake."

"No problem." He walked in the sand, silent in his thoughts, until he finally blurted out.

"Daniel, why did those two keep calling me your boyfriend?"

He saw a glimmer of Daniel's white teeth in the moonlight. "I expect it was because the whole time you were there both times, you acted like you were pathologically jealous and protective of me. It was a natural assumption to make, don't you think?"

"Pathologically jealous? I was not jealous!"

"You weren't?" Daniel had stopped walking and turned to face his friend. 

"I was just protecting you, Daniel. What else could your CO do?"

"You weren't mad because I let a man touch me while we danced?"

During this, Daniel moved closer, bit by bit, to the Colonel. By the time he finished the last sentence, they were almost nose to nose. 

"Fuck, no, I ... umph!"

Daniel's lips caught Jack's, and his arms came around the older man as he kissed him soundly. 

"Daniel! What are you..." Jack tried to push Daniel away, but not very hard. It was like his muscles wouldn't cooperate.

"I'm kissing you, Jack, what does it look like I'm doing." Lips locked down again, and this time Daniel's tongue pushed its way inside Jack's mouth.

"I don't think this is a good..." 

"Shut up, Jack." Daniel reached down and grabbed Jack's erection in his shorts. "This doesn't lie, O'Neill, you like it, and you like me, so just deal with it!"

Daniel's body rubbed against Jack's, and O'Neill quickly found himself on the threshold of coming literally in his shorts from the friction.

"Shit, Daniel, no! Stop it."

Those were the only words that would have made Daniel stop what he was doing. He pulled away from Jack, turning his back on his friend.

"God, Jack, I'm sorry! If I thought you really didn't want me to, I would have never... shit!"

The upset archeologist started walking back towards the noise of the party quickly, trying to escape his embarrassment and fear.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Danny, don't run off. We have to talk about this."

"Talk about the fact that I nearly raped my commanding officer and my friend, Jack? I'll put in my resignation as soon as we get back. You'll never have to worry about this happening again."

"Whoa, Daniel, who said anything about resignations?" Jack moved closer to his skittish friend. "You just made me throw out almost fifty years of abject heterosexuality with one kiss, Danny, and with nary a whimper as it left. So forgive me if I'm a little surprised by it all. Not to mention overwhelmed. Earlier I walked out to this beach with a beautiful woman with the idea to have sex, and found absolutely no snap in the old snake at all when she went after me. Then you only kiss me and rub against me, and I'm past lift off and ready to explode in seconds. I know I'm pretty dense, but even I finally got the fact that something's going on after that."

"What, Jack? What's going on?"

"Ya want me to spell it out? I'm not good at talking this feelings shit out, Danny, you know that!"

"Yes, I want you to spell it out."

"Shit! I think the reason I'm hot for you is because I, Christ, Daniel, I think I fucking love you, and I pretty sure I have for years! Does that spell it out enough for ya?"

Jack couldn't see Daniel's smile, but it's like he could feel the heat of it radiating over him. "Yes, it does. I feel the same. I've been wanting to tell you about it for years, but you always seemed so straight..."

"I am straight, for crying out loud! Or I was straight. Whatever. Commere!"

Jack pulled Daniel into his arms and kissed him, his frustration at not being able to talk about his feelings showing in the roughness of the embrace. A woman would have softened herself against him, or complained about his hurting her. Daniel just started muscling Jack right back, fighting for control of the kissing. That went on for a while until Jack found himself on his back in the sand with Danny's lips locked to his, his tongue in Jack's mouth, and his hands inside Jack's shirt and pants. The touch of Daniel's warm hand on O'Neill's prick was enough to push him over. He exploded all over himself and the hand that was now helpfully pumping up and down. It was only Daniel's mouth lodged over his that kept him from screaming from the intensity of the orgasm. Daniel started rubbing his body frantically against Jack's, and soon enough he could feel his friend /and lover, god help us!/ shuddering as he climaxed. Jack held him tightly as he came down from it.

"That's okay, I got ya, Danny."

They lay there like that for a few minutes just recovering.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't change your mind in the morning when you're sober. I'm not sure I could take it." His voice sounded like that of a small child.

The Colonel shifted so that he was lying face-to-face on the sand facing Daniel. "I'm not drunk, Daniel. I might be crazy for getting into this when I'm still in the military, but I'm not drunk. Do you think I should retire when we get back?"

"What?! NO! You can't retire, Jack. SG-1 needs you, Earth needs you, and I need you. Who'll watch my six if you leave?"

"Teal'c."

"Teal'c will go back to Chulak if you retire. He told me that once. Sam doesn't want command of SG-1, either. She wants to concentrate more on scientific advances after you leave. They only stay in SG-1 because you're still in command."

Jack reached out and stroked Daniel's face in the darkness. "What about you, Doctor Jackson? What would you do if I retired? The SGC needs your expertise."

"If you retired, I'd probably ask to co-lead SG-11, lead the archeological digs. I miss having the time to spend just working digs."

"It means you'll be off-world a lot." The unspoken thought /and be away from me/ was loud and clear.

"Well, as for that, since you already have the clearances, I could request domestic visits on weekends. I could come home."

"Domestic visits? Do I look like a domestic?" O'Neill growled, moving over and on top of Daniel. 

The younger man put his arms around his new lover. "No, you look like Colonel Jack O'Neill, US Air Force, who I'm nuts about."

They kissed again, deeply, and Jack was surprised as he felt the stirring of another boner. /Not bad for an old guy. Not bad at all./

"Danny, let's go back to the house. I'm getting sand in places I hate having sand in. I also don't like lying here where anyone can see us. If we're going to make this thing work, we better get used to hiding it."

"Okay."

After letting Carter know they were leaving, they had Baccie drive them home. Once their guide left, the two men looked at each other.

"What do you want to do now?"

A slow, sexy smile came over Daniel's face. "Let's go swimming. Now. Naked."

"Daniel!" Jack grinned back. "Okay. I'm easy."

The nighttime fog had cleared, and the two of them could see each other fairly well in the moonlight. With both towels and trunks in hand, Daniel and Jack ran down to the beach and jumped in. In the warm water they teased each other, touching and kissing, but not allowing the contact for long. Daniel played with Jack, splashing him and worming out of his grasp when the Colonel reached out for his lover.

"Commere, you slippery devil!"

"No. Catch me?"

"You asked for it!" Jack growled, diving towards his lover. Before he could surface Daniel bumped him, really hard.

He came up for air, sputtering. "Shit! Danny, that hurt!"

"What hurt, Jack?"

Daniel's voice came from behind Jack. He wasn't the one who had bumped O'Neill!

"Shit, there's something here in the water with us!" Scared for Daniel suddenly, Jack swam over to his lover in the shallow water.

"Jack! Look!"

The awe in Danny's voice startled him, and he turned to see what his lover was looking at. A dolphin, sleek and glowing in the phosphorescent sea foam, leapt fifteen feet in the air, finally curving down into the water. They could see the dark glimmer of a playful eye as it surfaced and laughed at them, finally diving down and away into the depths with a flirt of silver fins.

"Jack, isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah." He looked at Daniel's awed face in the starlight. "Not as beautiful as you are, though."

The archeologist shyly glanced over at him. "I'm a man, Jack. You aren't supposed to call men beautiful, you know."

"Hey, I call 'em like I see them, Danny. And you know I'm a sap underneath my blue uniform and Special Ops training."

That slow, lazy smile came over his lover's face again.

"You are that, Colonel Sap."

"Commere!" Jack pulled him into his arms, kissing his salt-wet lips deeply. Daniel's arms tightened around O'Neill as the embrace heated up. The sandy water grated on their sensitive cocks as their bodies rubbed together. 

/It's weird kissing someone the same size as me. Nice, though. I don't have to get a crick in my neck./

"Harder, Jack!" Danny gasped, holding onto Jack tight enough to almost cut off the older man's breathing. He was pushing against Jack's body with a frenzy almost as powerful as the first time. The irritation on their naked pricks from the sand just made the feelings more intense. Impatient with the rubbing, finally, Daniel pulled away and grabbed Jack's hand to his crotch.

"Jerk me off, O'Neill! Now!"

"My pleasure." Jack growled, getting into the rhythm of it as his lover took hold of Jack's cock at the same time. He wished that he could see Daniel's face better as the archeologist groaned, finally spurting his warm seed into the ocean and Jack's hand.

"God, I'm coming, Danny, faster!" His orgasm, when it came, was even more powerful than the first time as he fed his code of life into the warm sea.

O'Neill pulled his friend and love into his arms, feeling Danny's shivering.

"You're getting cold. Come on, let's go back and take a warm shower."

"Together?"

"Ya mind?"

"No. I like it."

"Good."

They walked up to the dark bulk of the house, going through the back porch, wiping off the excess sand there, and on into the house. Before too long, all clean and showered, the two men collapsed into the bed and into each other's arms. Sleep came quickly, and Jack and Daniel chased each other into dreams.

* * *

Jack woke up at his usual five a.m. time. What wasn't usual was the heavy weight that covered him from stem to stern. A naked Danny, deeply asleep, had his head tucked under Jack's chin, his right arm and leg wrapped tightly around Jack's partially numb body.

Like a tidal wave, their actions the night before rolled over the Colonel.

/Shit, I fucked my best friend last night! Oh, God, what have I done to us, to my team? I've broken almost every rule in the damn book, this time. Why didn't I see this starting, so I could head it off? If anyone finds out, Danny could become a target. O'Neill, you really fucked up this time./

"Daniel?"

"Hmmmphmmmph."

"Daniel, I've gotta go pee. Can you get off?" 

"J'ck?"

"Yeah, it's me. My bladder's about ready to burst. Can you get off?"

"Okay." 

Daniel's ascent into consciousness moved to the stage where some glimmer of what went on the night before filtered through to him. He watched Jack as his friend and lover put on shorts and headed out for the bathroom. 

/What if he just wants to pretend it never happened?/

Jack felt the power of anxious blue eyes watching him as he returned to the bed.

"Morning."

"Morning, Jack."

O'Neill crawled back on the bed and over to Daniel. "We gotta talk."

/Oh God, here it is. The 'Daniel, we made a mistake and it can't happen again.' talk./

Jack saw the fear in Daniel's eyes, and he hurried to reassure the younger man. "Hey, don't look like that, kid. I'm not going to try to pretend nothing happened last night, or anything like that, Danny." He wound his hand around Daniel's. "Whether or not it was the right thing to do, going back from it isn't an option. But now we got other things to think about, decisions to make."

"Jack, you can't retire!"

"Hey, I'm pretty thick, but I did get that last night." He reached a finger up and stroked Daniel's face. "Among other things."

Daniel's blush delighted the Colonel. He wanted to pull his lover into his arms and screw the hell out of him right then. But they needed to talk first. He took a deep breath to strengthen his willpower, and continued.

"We need to decide whether or not you and I should stay on the same team, and if we stay on SG-1, whether we should tell Teal'c and Carter." He slapped his head. "Shit, Carter! She isn't going to like this, I don't think."

"Why? Because she loves you, too?"

"Love? Me? Nah, Carter's just attracted to me cause I'm her Commanding Officer, and I remind her of her Dad. She's too ambitious to go after me seriously. She'd never leave the Air Force."

"For a long time I thought you loved her back."

"I let myself think that a while back. I know now that it was because I was running from something that scared my ass to death."

"What could scare you, Jack? You're the bravest man I know."

"You. Loving you, I mean, Daniel. In case you haven't noticed it, we're both guys."

A smile lit up Daniel's face, causing Jack to blush for some reason. 

"I *had* noticed, Jack, even before I stuck my hand down your pants last night and felt the rather obvious evidence of your gender for the first time."

"Shit, yer embarrassing me here, Danny!"

"I can't see how we could get away with not telling them about us, Jack. And Janet, as well." Daniel's blush deepened. "She'll find out sooner or later, from just doing our physical exams, when we get, um, more deeply intimate."

Jack preferred not to think about what Daniel meant by becoming more deeply intimate right then. "I got no problem telling the Doc. You're right about telling the team, though. We couldn't keep it a secret from them, anyway. Daniel, what if I endanger the others because I broke the rules and kept you and me together on the same team? What if I make the wrong decision? That's why the military has the no fraternization rules, ya know."

"Jack, you say you've loved me for years, right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"You haven't made too many wrong decisions in all that time that have risked the team. The only difference now is that now we'll both not be as sexually frustrated and grouchy as we were before."

Jack looked at him, startled. "You know, you're a pretty smart guy, Dr. Jackson, for a geek. What I don't see is why you'd want a dumb ass like me. Seriously, Daniel, look at you! You could have anyone you want. Why me?"

"I wish I could tell you that, Jack. You're grumpy, sarcastic, you don't listen to me, and you're disrespectful. Despite that, the fact is, I've cared for you as a friend for so long. You know, I even missed you when I was stuck on Abydos."

"You did?" Jack sounded pleased but unbelieving.

"Yes. I did. Once I was back here, you... you were there for me when I was alone and missing Shau'ree. You gave me a place to stay, and a place to work where I was needed. When I was coming off the sarcophagus addiction, you were there and, and you held me when I needed you to, even after I tried to shoot you. You were so happy to see me when I didn't die on Klorel's ship. I ... I've had so many people leave me in my life, yet you were always there for me, with me. I've loved you as a friend from the beginning. I think I fell in love with you after you hugged me in the gateroom that time, despite what the other military people might think. You got through my defenses when no one else could. It was you who taught me that I needed people, and that I wasn't weak because I did need them. While you were showing me how to be a soldier, Jack, somehow you showed me how to be a man, as well. I don't think I ever really knew how to be one before I had you and Teal'c as role models."

"Um, wow. I did all that?"

Daniel smiled. "Yes."

"Cool!" He cleared his throat. "Danny, I'm really bad at talking about feelings, stuff like that."

"I know. You suck at it."

"It's just that I've never thought of loving a man, before you. Hell, I forced myself not to think about it even after it was way too late for me. What I mean to say is, if I had ever thought about loving a guy, then it would have been you. So when it happened, it seemed natural to me, despite me being straight. I still fought it tooth and nail, though. I'm a stubborn asshole when I'm afraid."

"I know." Daniel smiled gently, taking Jack's hand and kissing it. "I'm a little more flexible about same gender loving than you are. I've had a male lover before."

"Who?" Jack growled.

Daniel couldn't help it, he giggled, which sounded distinctly odd coming from the serious archeologist. "You sound so jealous, Jack, do you realize that?"

"Answer the question, Dan-iel."

"A co-worker, on an archeological dig in South America, when I was twenty. It was intense, wonderful, and short-lived. I did prefer women, so I wasn't as comfortable with it as Tony was. He broke it up because he said my heart wasn't in it. And he was right. I was still getting over Sarah."

Jack's jaw went rigid with a grim expression. "The only sex I've had with men was when I was tortured with it in that jail in Iraq. Daniel, those other intimacies you mentioned..." His eyes dropped to where he stroked his fingers over Daniel's muscular hand, sticking there as though their entwined hands might hold the secrets of life. "I might have trouble with those because of what happened to me. I'm not sure I could deal with, um, the deeper physical aspects of being with a man."

"We'll go slow, Jack. And we'll do nothing you aren't comfortable with, okay? I can tell you is that being penetrated can be an incredible experience for a guy. It brings you so close to your lover, when he fills you up with his body, then leaves his code of life in you. It's indescribable."

"I would think it would hurt like hell. It hurt me like hell when it was done to me." 

"Ahh Jack. Don't mistake torture for sexual love. Lovers prepare their bodies before the actual act, Jack. I would, um, prepare you, stretch you so you could take me."

Jack had been feeling a stirring down there for a while now, with this conversation only egging it on and up. "How?"

"Didn't Sara ever put her finger up your behind and massage your prostate when you made love?"

Now O'Neill blushed and got a little harder. "Yeah, lots of time. It made me shoot my load like a machine gun when she did it. Incredible feeling."

"Well, I would do the same, only I'd start with one finger, move up to two fingers, then to three. So that you would stretch enough to make room to take my, um, my dick inside you."

"I just love you talking dirty like that, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel smiled, reaching shyly over and stroking Jack's erection through his shorts at the same time. "Do you want to try making love to me, Jack?"

"Now?"

"Unless you've got somewhere to go, Colonel?" was the snarky reply.

"Nah, just tell me what to do." He lay down on his side next to Daniel, perching on his elbows.

"Let me go to the bathroom, then I'll get the lube from my suitcase."

"You brought lube with you, Daniel? I thought you didn't do casual."

"Well, hope does seem to spring eternal in me. I hoped you'd come around while we were here. You have been showing more signs lately of how you felt about me. Like when you got hard, you know, when I was massaging your leg after your cramp?"

Jack grinned. "Like I said, I'm dumb as a post sometimes, but even I buy a clue in the end. I had hoped you didn't notice me getting hard then."

"Well, you aren't exactly small, and it was kind of noticeable. Give yourself a break, Jack about all this. It was a big decision to make, you know, to completely turn over your world view."

Daniel headed out to the bathroom, then came back and rooted through his suitcase to find the little yellow tube he was looking for.

"Here it is." He smiled as he walked back over to Jack. "This won't hurt me much, Jack, if we do it right. And it will feel a lot nicer than it hurts, trust me."

"I don't know, Daniel. It's an awfully small hole to put an awfully big, ugh, thing."

"You just want me to agree that you're awfully big, you egotistical thing. Forget it!"

Jack's sheepish grin showed that Daniel was right on the mark. "Okay, guy, what do I do?"

Daniel's voice lowered, becoming sultry. "Do you want me to show you the finger moves you need to do to prepare me?"

"You mean, on me?"

"Yes."

The tone in Danny's voice hardened Jack's cock as well as his nerve. "Go for it!"

"Turn on your side away from me, and lift your upper leg with your arm to give me access."

As he moved, Jack snarked. "Hey, didn't know ya had to be an acrobat to do this!"

"That's it, you're fine now." Daniel dribbled lube onto his fingers, then slipped them down to Jack's butt cheeks. "Now, it'll seem cold for a bit, then it will warm up nicely." The archeologist's soft voice lulled his nervous lover as his fingers crept to Jack's opening.

"Okay, first you put one finger in, Jack, like this." At the moment of penetration, Daniel bit Jack's shoulder lightly, surprising the Colonel.

"Hey! Whadya do that for? Oh... OH, Shit, Daniel, yeah, that's it! Ungnhhh!"

"How's that feel?" 

Daniel's finger went in and out, slowly, crooking a little to hit Jack's prostate.

"Ungnhh!"

"I'll take it from that noise that I'm okay to put in a second one, then?"

"Yeah, more..."

Daniel pushed in a second finger. "Now, Jack, remember to scissor your fingers, to stretch me so I'll be able to take you easier. Do you have that? Jack?"

Speech was beyond Jack as he pushed back into Danny's hand, fucking the archeologist's fingers. Daniel let him have his fun, scissoring him all the while.

"That's right, Jack, you like my fingers fucking you, lover? They like you, you know that? The feel of you, so tight and warm and crushing..." He slipped a third one in, again making sure to hit just the right spot repeatedly. Finally, reluctantly, he slipped the fingers out of Jack's butt.

"Are you ready to do me, Jack?"

"No! You do it to me, Daniel!"

"Are you sure? Jack?"

"NOW, Jackson, don't you dare leave me like this!" O'Neill was growling by then.

Daniel put lube on his cock, pushed it up to Jack, and said again, "Are you sure?"

"FUCK ME! Now, for god's sake, before I burst, or chicken out!"

Daniel pushed inside, not stopping after entry, but continuing until he filled Jack up. He figured it would be easier psychologically on Jack to do the penetration fast, since his lover's body was more than ready for him.

"Gods, Jack, that feels, so..."

"Move, Daniel!"

The urgency and desperate need in his Colonel's voice made Daniel obey instantly. He started thrusting with a twist to his hip that made sure he hit his target every time he moved to fill his lover's body again and again. The tightness of Jack clamping around him made him realize that he wouldn't be able to hold out long, and his moves increased in speed and frenzy. Finally, he felt stars shooting up his spine from his groin, and his vision grayed out as he exploded. His seed surged into Jack's body, warm and potent, and now Jack was HIS! 

For Jack, the warmth of Daniel's seed marking him inside was what threw him over, and without anyone touching him, he came and came, as though he'd shoot out all of his fluids in this one unbelievable orgasm.

After a minute of collapse, Jack mumbled into the pillow, "Daniel? You okay?"

Daniel gently pulled out of his lover, kissing the shoulder where he had marked Jack with his teeth. "I'm fine. Are you? I didn't want to rush you, though you *seemed* like you liked it."

O'Neill turned to his lover, pulled the exhausted man into his arms, and smiled, kissing the sweaty brown hair. "I'm fine. It was incredible, and you made me feel like I was playing with God."

"Well, thank you, that's pretty high praise. But next time, O'Neill, after you rest, you are going to do me, you hear me? And bareback, like I took you. I want your seed in me, I want to be yours, Jack!"

A soft snore was his only answer, and he smiled and pulled his exhausted lover closer to his heart. Finally he slid into sleep after Jack.

* * *

Banging on the door pulled O'Neill up from his post-coital nap.

"Sir, Daniel, are you two going to stay in bed all day?" 

Jack looked over at his dead-to-the-world lover. Daniel's face was smashed into his pillow and his hair stood up in spikes. The bed and both of them smelled like stinky stale sex, and Danny looked completely at peace. Jack noticed the curl of a smile on what he could see of Danny's still kiss-swollen lips.

/He can't even imagine how wonderful he looks like this. I don't have the heart to wake him. God he's beautiful!/

O'Neill got out of bed and reached down to get his shorts to put on. He felt some twinges of soreness in his rear area, and felt some more of Danny's seed drip out of him and down his legs as he put them on.

/That's Danny's code of life inside me! Sweet! Damn I stink! I need a shower, bad./ That thought made a grin come out as Jack came to the door and opened it, almost getting a knuckle sandwich in his face.

"I'm awake, Carter, but I want to let Danny sleep. So be quiet, okay?"

From the bed they both heard a groan.

"Too late, Sir. Sorry."

Sam didn't look at all sorry.

"We're going to get the bikes, and I didn't want you to miss getting one if you wanted to ride."

/My ass is pretty sore for motorcycle riding./ "Nah, I think Danny and I'll just swim and take it easy today. Things got pretty lively at the party last night."

A louder groan, combined with a strangled "J'ck?" notified O'Neill to an imminent archeologist-coffee-craving attack approaching.

"Can you get Daniel a cup of coffee before you go, Carter? Or are you guys leaving right now? I need a shower, bad."

Sam scratched her nose thoughtfully, then said, "I'll bring him one now, Sir."

Jack ignored her leaving as he went into the bathroom, stripped, and started the hot shower running. His ass was starting to ache a little more now, but it was a "sore muscles after some great exercise" soreness, rather than anything more traumatic-feeling.

* * *

Daniel was just beginning to open his sleepy blue eyes as Jack walked in with another cup of coffee for him, and one for himself.

His new lover smiled up at him as he took the cup, mumbling a still- sleepy thank you.

"The others have headed out to get bikes, and probably won't be back for a while. Whatcha wanna do while they're gone?"

The coffee in the cup had already disappeared, and the blue eyes were now open. "Um, a swim after breakfast would be nice. Then I want you inside of me, Jack, and no more excuses or turning tail so that it's me in you. I never knew you'd be such a slut, O'Neill."

Jack shrugged, reaching out and taking the three dirty cups to wash them. "Who'd a thought it would be that easy? Once you had those fingers of yours in me, I just couldn't seem to stop. You were right, Danny. It was an incredible feeling when you marked me by coming inside of me. Now it'll seem like a part of you is always in me."

Daniel smiled, getting up and pulling shorts on to follow Jack down and into the kitchen to help with breakfast. "I can't wait to have my turn to bottom, it's been such a long time. That's what they call it, Jack, what you did for me. Bottoming."

"Bottoming, huh? Dumb thing to call it. I was beside you, not under you."

"I know, and someone can bottom from on top, if they want to. It's still called bottoming, though, as long as you're penetrated."

"Eat some oatmeal, Daniel. You're gonna need your strength."

"Slut!"

* * *

Hours later, the throbbing roar of Harley Davison motorcycles sounded in the living area of the house from outside. Jack and Daniel had swam, made love (with O'Neill topping), showered, and were now playing chess.

Their three friends came into the door, eyes bright from the brisk trip on the bikes.

"Did you kids have fun?"

"Indeed. These Harley Davison motorcycles are quite interesting, and run with quite an unusual rhythm to them."

"We explored more of the island, and checked out the shopping areas in the village."

The others scrounged for cold drinks, changed their minds and decided to go swimming instead. By the time they had all had their fun, showered, and returned to the living area, Jack and Daniel had finished their game.

Daniel caught Jack's eyes, and the Colonel nodded. The archeologist turned to his friends and said quietly, "Jack and I need to tell you something, guys."

"What? You didn't invite any blonde bimbos here while we were gone did you, Sir?"

"No, Carter. Danny?"

Daniel hissed at Jack, "Coward!"

"Aw, fer crying out loud, Daniel, just tell em!"

"All right. This is what we need to tell you." Daniel turned to Jack, pulled the Colonel into his arms, and kissed him deeply.

You could have heard a pin drop in that room.

"I knew it!" Janet crowed, clapping her hands. "You two finally got it together? I can't believe it. You've been in love for years, you know."

"How the hell did you know that, Fraiser?"

"I'm a doctor, Colonel. I'm trained to notice things like emotional stuff that might impact my patients' health."

"It's true, then?" Sam asked, looking really upset. "You're lovers?"

"Yes. As of last night, actually." Daniel reached out and took Jack's hand. "It's taken Jack a while to buy a clue that he loved me."

"But what about regulations, and what about..." She didn't say it, and she didn't have to. The hurt in her blue eyes said it all.

Jack decided it was his duty to speak. This was a problem he'd caused with his flirting. "I do care for you, Carter, way more than I should. That wasn't a lie. But even if we didn't have the regs against us, it could never had worked. Hell, Sam, I can barely call you by your first name, and I've known you for almost five years! And you still can't call me Jack with any level of comfort. It could never have worked. We'd never be equals, Carter, in our own minds."

"But you and Daniel have never been anything but equals." Janet said. "Since day one."

"Yeah. If Daniel ever called me Colonel or Sir, I'd probably have a heart attack."

Daniel had been watching Carter. "Sam, please don't tell me you're upset at us for this."

"I am! What about the team, you two? This is not only against military regulations way worse than any fraternization, but it's going to break up SG-1! Didn't that occur to you, *Sir*, when you finally decided to screw your civilian consultant?"

Quietly, in a deceptively soft voice, O'Neill answered her. "It's that worry that's kept me from admitting my feelings even to myself for years, Carter. It's what pushed me to flirt with you, to my eternal shame. That and the small fact that I was straight. And I didn't screw Daniel, Major. I made love to him, and him to me. I love him."

Janet looked at her friend, worry abounding at how upset this was making Sam. "You want to go for a walk, honey?"

"No." Carter jumped up, grabbed the rented helmet and bike keys, and headed out the door. "I'm going for a ride. Alone."

After the door slammed, the four of them just looked at each other.

"Give her time, Jack. She's had feelings for you for a while, now."

"We'd have killed each other, Doc, you know that! No matter how many of those alternate realities show otherwise."

"Jack, in all those other realities where the two of you were a couple, there were similar circumstances. You had never met Daniel, and Sam wasn't in the military. You'd never been in the military chain of command with her in those places. For what it's worth, you have my congratulations. I'm glad the two of you finally bought a clue." The doctor smiled to show she meant what she said.

Jack and Daniel turned to the other member of SG-1. "Teal'c, old buddy?" Jack finally asked the Jaffa.

"I also have been aware of your feelings for DanielJackson for some time, O'Neill."

Jack blinked in surprise. "You have?"

"Yes. I ascertained you were in love with DanielJackson after you called him Spacemonkey, and hugged him despite your military audience. It took you long enough."

"You got no problem that we're both men?"

"The comparison number of female to male Jaffa is quite different, O'Neill. There are much fewer females. Same sex relationships often occur among my people. I have no problem with it happening between the two of you. I also have no concerns that it will change the dynamics of SG-1 very much, either. Janet is correct, you have loved DanielJackson, and he you, for many years. The only difference will be that the relationship is now consummated. I would think that would only lead to positive changes."

Daniel smiled. "See, Jack, I told you, you'll just be less sexually frustrated, and it'll make you a little more mellow."

"Dan-iel! For crying out loud, you're embarrassing me again!"

Janet's smile dropped off her face. 

"Give Sam time, you two. I'll talk to her, and Teal'c will as well. She'll come around. She loves you both too much not to give in."

Jack looked at Janet, his worry clear on his face. "I want her to stay on SG-1, Janet. I'll resign before I force her to change teams."

"Jack! We already discussed this." Daniel objected.

"That was when we thought Carter wouldn't have a problem with us, Daniel. But if it comes down to it, she's more valuable to SG-1 than a beaten-up old flyboy, and you know it."

Daniel turned away, that stubborn expression that Jack dreaded all over his face. "I don't want to talk about it any more right now, Jack. I think I'll go for a walk. I want to be alone for a while."

O'Neill fought down a surge of hurt that Daniel obviously wanted to be away from him as well.

"Just be careful. There are places it isn't safe to go, because of tides and stuff, around here."

"I'll be FINE, O'Neill, I'm not a baby!"

They all watched as Daniel huffed out the door, his entire posture angry and insulted with Jack's overprotectiveness and his talk about retiring.

"He is angry." Teal'c pointed out.

"Ya think?" Jack snapped. More gently he added, "He's hurt that Carter doesn't wish us well. She's his friend. Danny doesn't trust many people to be his friends. When he finally does, he puts us at a higher standard than most people would. It'll do him good to walk it off, I guess."

* * *

Daniel decided to head to the beach, and walk by the water for a while. Sam seemed really angry and hurt about he and Jack being lovers. What if, after finally getting Jack, he ended up destroying SG-1? Could Daniel live with that?

The archeologist walked for hours, just letting the roar of the surf and the beauty of the Caribbean island calm his worries. To the left as he rounded a bluff, he noticed that the beach led up into a cave that had been formed as the sea ate away the rock under the cliff. Curious as to the extent of the cave, Daniel climbed up the rocks and scrambled inside. He rooted around happily for a while, but came up with only a few scattered barnacles and tough orange starfish that were grimly hanging on to the rock walls of the deep cave. The omnipresent swish of the surf outside was suddenly a lot louder, and Daniel decided he'd better head back to the house soon, or Jack would worry.

As Daniel tried to climb out of the cave, he was caught by a huge warm splash of spray. Turning to look, he noticed that the tide had come in! It had moved to cover the entire cove area, which had been clear beach earlier. Further, there was no way he'd be able to wade or swim to get to the beach on the other side of the cove cliff barriers. The currents were too powerful, and he'd be slammed against one of the now slippery promontories and hurt badly. Jackson finally climbed back into the now much wetter cave opening, figuring he'd be safer inside. He was wrong. Daniel had no idea that this entire cave complex would be under water before the tide began to fall again.

/Oh, God, Jack's going to kill me! He told me not to wander anywhere that looked like sea caves, said Baccie said they were dangerous./

* * *

It was six hours after Daniel had left. Sam had returned three hours before, ignored Jack and Teal'c, and went straight up to her room. Janet followed her friend, hoping to get Sam to talk about her feelings.

Jack came in from the beach. "Nope, he's not down there swimming. T, call Baccie and get him over here. Something's happened to Daniel, I know it!"

T, trusting Jack's renowned archeologist-ESP sense of danger, did as his friend asked. Then he headed up to the women's room.

After he knocked, he entered.

"What do you want, Teal'c?" Sam asked, not appreciating that the big Jaffa hadn't waited for them to tell him it was okay to come in.

"DanielJackson has not come back from his walk earler. O'Neill feels he is in danger, and wishes to go look for him.

Sam sneered. "Daniel's a big boy, Teal'c! We don't have to babysit him just because the Colonel misses his boyfriend."

"Sam!" Janet said, shocked.

Teal'c just looked down on the blue-eyed Human sadly. "There are caves which can fill with seawater very quickly on this island. There is a real chance that DanielJackson could be trapped and in danger. You will put aside your Tau'ri prejudices and your hurt, Samantha, until he is home safe."

It was not a request. That Teal'c actually ordered Sam to straighten up shocked her like nothing else, right out of her self-pity.

"Sorry, Teal'c. If he's trapped in one of the caves, he'll be in danger, as the tide is moving in right now. Let's take the bikes along the coast. They'll enable us to cover a lot of ground."

Teal'c nodded. This was the quick thinking he expected from his friend.

Baccie brought his SUV, so Sam rode with Janet behind her and Jack took Teal'c behind him on the other bike. They carried various paraphernalia with them such as rope and picks, that sort of thing.

There were many of these treacherous tidal caves on the island, but there were only about six of them near enough to the house for Daniel to have walked to within the time factor involved. Baccie led them to each one, but with calling and yelling the archeologist's name, they had no response. Jack had to make the decision not to climb down into each cave. The tide was still low enough that they could hope Daniel could hear their shouts.

"How in the hell are we going to find him?" A close to despairing Jack said to Teal'c after the third potential failure. "He won't even be able to hear us over the sea noises in those caves with the tide rising like it is."

"Surely he'll be waiting for us to find him, if he is trapped, O'Neill? Listening for us."

"I sure hope so, T."

Baccie pulled over to show them yet another of the ubiquitous cave and cliff areas. This one looked totally covered with water, the opening completely submerged.

They called and called, but didn't see or hear any response. As the five of them were turning to get on the bikes to proceed to the next cave, Jack saw silver reflected in the dying sun.

"Wait a minute!" He climbed down some of the rocks to locate what had caught his eye. The sliver of a dolphin moving through the treacherous rocks caught his eyes.

"Look! It's Danny's dolphin!"

Baccie looked down, perplexed. "Dey never come inside the rocks like that, cause dey might get caught out. That's real weird, man!"

"Daniel's in there. Let's set up the rope and anchor and the climbing harness. I'm going down to look."

"But Sir, assuming that the creature is down there because of Daniel is not logical."

"Logical or not, Carter, that dolphin is telling us that Danny's down there. Move it!"

Sam was too well trained to disobey the command tone to Jack's voice. Efficiently she and Teal'c set up the climbing anchor and ropes while Jack put on the harness. They were going to have to winch him down to the opening of the cave, ease up on the rope so that Jack could swim into the cave opening, then wait for his signal to haul him back up.

"Sir, Jack, let me go in there. I've done a lot of climbing in my day, and I used to be a champion swimmer. I'll have a better chance of lasting than you."

Brown eyes stared down into blue ones. Finally Sam added, "He's my friend, Jack, and I love him too. Let me go."

Jack nodded and started undoing the climbing harness so that he could help Sam into it. "He's in there, Sam, I know it. Bring him back up to me."

"I will, Sir."

What happened in the next hour was mind-numbing on the parts of the people who waited up above. Sam was lowered down until she was even with the cave opening. She tied off the winch line, dove into the cave, using her hands to guide her through the darkness. The water in the cave was up close to the ceiling, so when she surfaced the air she breathed was briny and thick.

"Daniel! Are you here?"

She was almost ready to submerge and dive back out of the cave when she heard Daniel's voice. It was coming from the back of the cave where he had put his head up a chimney in the rock to avoid drowning. The archeologist almost didn't hear Sam calling him, the noise of the sea was so loud.

Sam swam towards where she had heard his voice, finally touching Daniel's body as she came up to breathe. She was nose to nose with him in the chimney, which was barely wide enough for the two of their heads.

"Come on, I'm here with a rope and harness! Hold on to me, hold your breath, and I'll get you out."

Daniel held on to Sam's belt as the Major swam strongly back to the cave opening. There was barely enough surface air left in the cave to catch a breath, but they both managed a few gulps before Sam told Daniel what to do.

Daniel put on the climbing harness, and together the two of them dove through the cave opening and out to the rocks. Sam found the winch rope, tugged three times and yelled at Daniel as she tied him up to it, "I"ll hang on here until you get pulled free. Then send the weighted rope back down, and I'll ride up next, okay? Watch out for the rocks, they're treacherous."

He nodded, and watched Sam as he was winched up and out of the maelstrom of water the cove had become. As Sam followed him with her eyes, she felt a current pull at her slippery footing, and she started losing her hold on the rocks. Before the sea could pull her off, though, she felt a steadying bump and caught herself. The dolphin had seen what she was doing, and had come up next to her. With his powerful fin muscles, he kept himself rooted there, acting as her support until the weighted winch rope came back down to pick up Sam.

Not quite knowing how to thank the obviously intelligent creature, Sam just ran her hand over the sleek skin in a brief caress. Then she tugged three times, and the rope raised her out of the watery hell that had been Daniel's prison.

Daniel grabbed Sam as she came over the cliff, just holding on to his friend in gratefulness that she was okay.

"Hey, Daniel, I'm okay. I wouldn't have been, though." She risked a lean over the cliff to see if the dolphin was still there. All she caught was the twilight gleam of a silver fin as the creature, it's task there complete, slipped over the rocks and out into the open ocean. "That dolphin saved me from getting caught in the current and losing my hold on the rocks. There, he's out and back in the open sea!"

All six of them silently sent their thanks away towards their odd savior. Finally Daniel, who had started shivering, said quietly, "The legends are that dolphins are the souls of drowned sailors, who have been trapped by Poseidon in those bodies until they can save someone else from the sea."

"What happens after they save someone?" Jack asked quietly, his arm around his lover.

"It's said that they shed the dolphin skins and their souls become stars in the sky, to shine on the earth forevermore."

Rubbing Daniel's wet head, Jack said, "Well, there's one more star in the night sky tonight, that's for sure. Let's get the two of you home, before you freeze to death, okay?"

"Okay, Jack."

"Okay, Sir."

"It's Jack, for crying out loud, Carter! What's a guy gotta do?"

Sam smiled from the circle of Janet's arm, her blue eyes warm. "Okay, Jack. Let's take Daniel home."

The End


End file.
